La Masia continues to provide support and valuable assets to FC Barcelona from time to time. Despite their well-documented financial troubles, Barcelona have managed to remain a competitive club courtesy of massive help and support from their academy starlets.
Young stars such as Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, and others are expected to be the faces of this new Barcelona project. Interestingly, La Masia just does not stop delivering even then. It seems now that a certain Barcelona coach may have to watch out for a talented youngster who shares his name.
New Xavi at La Masia
According to the latest update on upcoming La Masia starlets by Jaume Marcet, a 16-year-old named Xavi Espart is making waves. Just like Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, Espart specializes as a midfielder. Reportedly, he has catching quite a lot of eyes within La Masia.
As per Marcet, the player is “making leaps” within the Barcelona academy. He is seen as a key player for Juvenil A and has become one of the undeniable leaders of the team. Born in 2007, the 16-year-old is already showcasing his bright talents at such a young age.
Within the UEFA Youth League, he has been indispensable for Barcelona. Playing as a ‘6’, he helped his side overcome Shakhtar Donetsk in Hamburg with a 3-0 scoreline. Moreover, a great display of individual brilliance almost could have given him a goal as well, but the Shakhtar keeper was there to deny him.
Rising rapidly in recent times
Last season, playing for Cadet A, Xavi Espart stood out both in the midfield and particularly as a fullback. This exceptional versatility is among the many reasons that the youth coaches trust him as a key player.
Able to play virtually anywhere within the midfield, Espart is a specialist when it comes to being a wildcard. His development has been meteoric, despite his rather tender age.
However, age has hardly been a hurdle for talent at Barcelona recently. The likes of Lamine Yamal, aged only 16, have become permanent members of the first team already. Hence, should Xavi Espart truly catch the eye of the first-team coaches, he will undoubtedly be given a chance if he merits it.
Recently, it was revealed that he even participated in the first team’s training session. This understandably should be seen as great news for him, showcasing that Xavi and the other coaches definitely have an eye on him. For now, he focuses on leading Juvenil A with Barcelona Athletic and the first-team a dream for the future.
